MEDELLIN | Public Transport

[Ashis Mitra]

The metro system of Medellin is I think the first over-ground metro system in South America, i.e— It currently has 2 lines. Line A & B— is completely over-ground. Personally I like the colour scheme—green and yellow border on white background.

After reading many websites I’ve recently saw some matters, which arise some questions and curiosity. I’m asking these because I want to compare the Medellin Metro with my city’s Kolkata Metro. Although the main difference is that Medellin metro is completely overground, whereas Kolkata metro is mostly underground. Here I’m writing—

1) I heard Line A will be extended towards the north to Hatillo. It will be a very long extension, and will almost double the present line length. The extension will be 21 Km long, which will totaling the Line A to 47 Km. The most interesting thing is that, trains will use the existing rail tracks to Cisneros. Does it mean it will be completely on surface, and more like a local train than metro? I never heard Medellin has any suburban rail system. The extension will serve some 500,000 people in the towns of Bello, Copacabana, Girardota and Barbosa. What will be the stations? Has the construction started? When will it be opened for commercial service? Please write some details and also post a graphical map of the extended route.

2) I heard although the platforms of Line A is fit for handle 6 car trains, but still it runs 3 car train. Why they do that? Is the Medellin metro not crowded as they expected?

3) Why they have not kept option for Line B for future extension to longer trains? I heard the station platforms are limited for 3 car trains. Here again the question of crowd arrives. Are the whole metro system is not well-utilized?

4) Why the entire system is completely over-ground and not underground? Do they decided to construct it as this for being cheaper?

5) Why they have chosen overhead wire, and not 3rd rail?

6) Is there any system for baggage checking when entering in the station area or platform area?

7) What kind of ticket they uses—RFID token or magnetic paper ticket?

8) Is drinking water available in station area?

9) Are there any display board in platform about next train? If yes, what kind of it—dot matrix or LED?

10) Do they play light music in background at station platform?

11) Do all stations has side platforms?

12) Is there any special seats for children, ladies, senior citizens and handicapped persons in both platform and inside the metro cars?

13) Is there any entertainment television in platform?

14) Is photography allowed inside station premises?

15) What is the fare for single journey, return journey, and multi-ride journey?

16) Are the metro cars air-conditioned?

[Ashis Mitra]

Thankfully Medellin have done the correction almost after 60 years by returning tram in city. The new tram is almost different than old tram. The Old tram network was single line (with passing loops), steel wheel, single coach, high floor, opened window, trolley pole, noisy, and slow, but much expanded and served not only the entire city, but also near suburbs. The new tram is double track, rubber tire, pentaple coach, low floor, air-conditioned, panto-graph, calm and fast, but a very small one route. In fact, it is clear that it is an unofficial extension of metro line B. I think transport company realized that extension of a metro line is much costlier (even it is elevated) than (re)opening the tram service in the city.

The new tram route has a common stretch with old route between San Jose to Buenos Aires. I think they have selected the rubber tired tram cars, due to the steep gradient of the area served by tram. In old network, it was much uneasy for a conventional steel wheeled tramcar, and it was the main reason for a slower service. Rubber tired tram could go much easy on the route.

Personally I am happy to see that the single company operates metro, tram, BRT and rope-way, which is unique in entire South America.

After reading many websites I’ve recently saw some matters, which arise some questions and curiosity. I’m asking these because I want to compare the Medellin Tram with my city’s Kolkata Tram. Although the main difference is that Medellin tram is rubber tired, whereas Kolkata metro is steel wheeled. Here I’m writing—

1) Is there any plan to extend the tram line? If yes, please write some details.

2) Is there any tram conductor inside tramcars for ticketing? Or tickets should be bought before boarding the tram from tram stations?

3) What kind of ticket they used in tram—simple paper ticket or electronic card?

4) Are other motor vehicles allowed on tram track? I saw the network is completely street running and unreserved, so I’m asking this.

5) Are all stops as tram stations? Or there are some single unreserved street surface stops?

6) Does the entire route is middle of the road? Or sometimes on left or right side?

7) Is there any special seats for children, ladies, senior citizens and handicapped persons inside the tram cars?

[asanchezs]

Originally Posted by Ashis Mitra

Thankfully Medellin have done the correction almost after 60 years by returning tram in city. The new tram is almost different than old tram. The Old tram network was single line (with passing loops), steel wheel, single coach, high floor, opened window, trolley pole, noisy, and slow, but much expanded and served not only the entire city, but also near suburbs. The new tram is double track, rubber tire, pentaple coach, low floor, air-conditioned, panto-graph, calm and fast, but a very small one route. In fact, it is clear that it is an unofficial extension of metro line B. I think transport company realized that extension of a metro line is much costlier (even it is elevated) than (re)opening the tram service in the city.

The new tram route has a common stretch with old route between San Jose to Buenos Aires. I think they have selected the rubber tired tram cars, due to the steep gradient of the area served by tram. In old network, it was much uneasy for a conventional steel wheeled tramcar, and it was the main reason for a slower service. Rubber tired tram could go much easy on the route.

Personally I am happy to see that the single company operates metro, tram, BRT and rope-way, which is unique in entire South America.

After reading many websites I’ve recently saw some matters, which arise some questions and curiosity. I’m asking these because I want to compare the Medellin Tram with my city’s Kolkata Tram. Although the main difference is that Medellin tram is rubber tired, whereas Kolkata metro is steel wheeled. Here I’m writing—

1) Is there any plan to extend the tram line? If yes, please write some details.

2) Is there any tram conductor inside tramcars for ticketing? Or tickets should be bought before boarding the tram from tram stations?

3) What kind of ticket they used in tram—simple paper ticket or electronic card?

4) Are other motor vehicles allowed on tram track? I saw the network is completely street running and unreserved, so I’m asking this.

5) Are all stops as tram stations? Or there are some single unreserved street surface stops?

6) Does the entire route is middle of the road? Or sometimes on left or right side?

7) Is there any special seats for children, ladies, senior citizens and handicapped persons inside the tram cars?

1. not actually, but there are plans for another tram line in the west of the city.

2. tickets should be bought before boarding the tram, inside there is no way to validate the ticket.

3.electronic card only,paper tickets are only for the metro an less used everyday.

4. other motor vehicles are allowed only if they are entering to the garages located along the tram way, otherwise they are forbidden.

5. all are tram stations with turnstiles and ticket vending machines.

6. in a little section of road across downtown the route is on the right side


7. there are special spaces for handicapped as the 100% of the mass transit network is full accesible , for children, ladies, or senior citizens there are not special seats, but the citizen culture about giving the seat for those who need it is very strong, it is part of the "cultura Metro" o "metro culture", a series of good habits when riding the system.

[Ashis Mitra]

Woow, very good answers. I request you to please answer my metro related question, just before the tram questions written - POST NO. 81.

[asanchezs]

Originally Posted by Ashis Mitra

The metro system of Medellin is I think the first over-ground metro system in South America, i.e— It currently has 2 lines. Line A & B— is completely over-ground. Personally I like the colour scheme—green and yellow border on white background.

After reading many websites I’ve recently saw some matters, which arise some questions and curiosity. I’m asking these because I want to compare the Medellin Metro with my city’s Kolkata Metro. Although the main difference is that Medellin metro is completely overground, whereas Kolkata metro is mostly underground. Here I’m writing—

1) I heard Line A will be extended towards the north to Hatillo. It will be a very long extension, and will almost double the present line length. The extension will be 21 Km long, which will totaling the Line A to 47 Km. The most interesting thing is that, trains will use the existing rail tracks to Cisneros. Does it mean it will be completely on surface, and more like a local train than metro? I never heard Medellin has any suburban rail system. The extension will serve some 500,000 people in the towns of Bello, Copacabana, Girardota and Barbosa. What will be the stations? Has the construction started? When will it be opened for commercial service? Please write some details and also post a graphical map of the extended route.

2) I heard although the platforms of Line A is fit for handle 6 car trains, but still it runs 3 car train. Why they do that? Is the Medellin metro not crowded as they expected?

3) Why they have not kept option for Line B for future extension to longer trains? I heard the station platforms are limited for 3 car trains. Here again the question of crowd arrives. Are the whole metro system is not well-utilized?

4) Why the entire system is completely over-ground and not underground? Do they decided to construct it as this for being cheaper?

5) Why they have chosen overhead wire, and not 3rd rail?

6) Is there any system for baggage checking when entering in the station area or platform area?

7) What kind of ticket they uses—RFID token or magnetic paper ticket?

8) Is drinking water available in station area?

9) Are there any display board in platform about next train? If yes, what kind of it—dot matrix or LED?

10) Do they play light music in background at station platform?

11) Do all stations has side platforms?

12) Is there any special seats for children, ladies, senior citizens and handicapped persons in both platform and inside the metro cars?

13) Is there any entertainment television in platform?

14) Is photography allowed inside station premises?

15) What is the fare for single journey, return journey, and multi-ride journey?

16) Are the metro cars air-conditioned?

1. the metro system is planned to be extended up to La Navarra which is in Copacabana, no more than 4 km fom the last station actually, Niquìa.

the rest of the expansion is being considered to be built as a suburban rail along the entire valley where Medellìn is located, almost 80km of tracks going through all the city and the Metropolitan area.

2. actually is very rare to see 3 car trains, the ridership of the system is above standards.

3.sincerelly I dont know, but its important to highlight that the biggest demand of passengers is from north to south in the morning and south to north in evenings, so this line dont carry as much demand as line A

4. for being cheaper.

5. i dont know

6. no, but all the stations have perment presence of police and private security guards along tickekt and pltaform area.

7.magnetic paper ticket and electronic card.

8.if you are talking about water fountain (i dont know exactly the word for that) no, its not available.

9. not actually but they are on the way to be implemented, the BRT Lines (metroplùs) features them and they are led displays.

10. yes, sometimes, it is chosen by the users making surveys in their facebook fan page.

11. all the elevetade stations have them and almost all the ground stations except for Itagui, Envigado, Tricentenario, Acevedo, Madera and Bello in the A line and just San Javier in the B line.

12. the same answer i say for the tram.

13.no

14. im not sure if it is fully allowed.

15. for frequent travellers with Civica card is 2000 COP for a single journey, other category of civica card cost 2080 COP, this two cards allow ticket transfers to buses (brt) and tram, for non frequents travellers it costs 2300 cop a ride with posibility of transfering to other systems

1 USD = 2923 COP



16. They dont have AC , They have a special ventilation system.

[Ashis Mitra]

Very good, and thanks again for the answers.

[Ashis Mitra]

FOOLISH AUTHORITY OF MEDELLIN

Medellin’s great tram network was closed in 1951 for some blunt reasons –

1) The advent of buses and large scale competition meant that buses often ran the same routes as the trams and would jump in front in order to "grab" customers.

Buses are still present in Medellin, even much more than before. Aren’t they competing with tram now? If now tram can attract more people than bus, I think if Medellin Transport Authority should be patient, trams would sure survived, even defeat bus. Actually they started following other cities for withdrawing tram during fifties.

2) While buses were able to move into Medellin’s expanding hinterland quicker and at less cost that the trams.

Current tram network has expanded many long distances, like Oriente, and the infrastructure is more expensive like bus (includes translohr system, masts, wires, stops etc.) But they are very popular for commuters than bus. If now they can re-make that costly infrastructure, why not past? Previous network was much ordinary than present. Actually they were lobbying the automobile industry, and the industry started marketing automobiles, like many cities around the world.

3) The belief that trams were outdated and old technology Meanwhile,

If tram is really outdated, why the transport authority returned it in Medellin? It clearly shows that outdated technology idea was completely fake.

4) There was a belief that buses were cheaper to run than trams.


Although initial construction cost of tramway network is higher, but it is profitable for long term, because buses runs on diesel, which is being costly month by month over the world, and also decreasing from nature’s storage. Diesel can’t be made artificially, but electricity can make from various sources, like air, water, tide etc, so it is unlimited, and it is also pollution free.

5) The system was in a poor state of repair.

Many cities around the world has maintained tram, struggling over World War 2, by investing seriously on track & rolling stocks. Even I live in Kolkata, but my city has still a good tram network. When Medellin closed their tram in 1951, Kolkata’s tram was its top state, both with income & service. So “impossible repairing” is just another lie.

Medellin’s previous tram survived from 1921 to 1951 and closed for those fake reasons. Tram reopened in 2015. So are we sure that around 2045, Medellin will not again close its tram fore some updated closure reasons?

[Ashis Mitra]

Could anyone write here details about the former tram routes following line by line.

Example—route 1 - from place A to place B via place C, D, E—following this format. So it will be easy to understand about the former network.

[Ashis Mitra]

Photos of first generation tram network. It was really great, expanded, and big.











The following places are now served again by tram - Ayacucho Tram.

[jdapenao]

Originally Posted by Ashis Mitra

The metro system of Medellin is I think the first over-ground metro system in South America, i.e— It currently has 2 lines. Line A & B— is completely over-ground. Personally I like the colour scheme—green and yellow border on white background.

After reading many websites I’ve recently saw some matters, which arise some questions and curiosity. I’m asking these because I want to compare the Medellin Metro with my city’s Kolkata Metro. Although the main difference is that Medellin metro is completely overground, whereas Kolkata metro is mostly underground. Here I’m writing—

1) I heard Line A will be extended towards the north to Hatillo. It will be a very long extension, and will almost double the present line length. The extension will be 21 Km long, which will totaling the Line A to 47 Km. The most interesting thing is that, trains will use the existing rail tracks to Cisneros. Does it mean it will be completely on surface, and more like a local train than metro? I never heard Medellin has any suburban rail system. The extension will serve some 500,000 people in the towns of Bello, Copacabana, Girardota and Barbosa. What will be the stations? Has the construction started? When will it be opened for commercial service? Please write some details and also post a graphical map of the extended route.

2) I heard although the platforms of Line A is fit for handle 6 car trains, but still it runs 3 car train. Why they do that? Is the Medellin metro not crowded as they expected?

3) Why they have not kept option for Line B for future extension to longer trains? I heard the station platforms are limited for 3 car trains. Here again the question of crowd arrives. Are the whole metro system is not well-utilized?

4) Why the entire system is completely over-ground and not underground? Do they decided to construct it as this for being cheaper?

5) Why they have chosen overhead wire, and not 3rd rail?

6) Is there any system for baggage checking when entering in the station area or platform area?

7) What kind of ticket they uses—RFID token or magnetic paper ticket?

8) Is drinking water available in station area?

9) Are there any display board in platform about next train? If yes, what kind of it—dot matrix or LED?

10) Do they play light music in background at station platform?

11) Do all stations has side platforms?

12) Is there any special seats for children, ladies, senior citizens and handicapped persons in both platform and inside the metro cars?

13) Is there any entertainment television in platform?

14) Is photography allowed inside station premises?

15) What is the fare for single journey, return journey, and multi-ride journey?

16) Are the metro cars air-conditioned?

1. The local authorities are planing a sub urban railway line to the north, it's still early to know the full extension of the line and the details. Personally I don't think that a railway line going across the whole valley is going to be made as planed, but a north line from Bello to Barbosa seems feasible.

2. They use two units of joint trains, so in reality you have 6 wagons. This is only for line A.

3. The demand on Line B is not as big as line A, the majority of the movements made on the metro area are north south and viceversa

4. It was cheaper, but mainly there was always a space reserved along the river for a mass transit network. This was decided in the firsts urban planing of the city.

5. It was cheaper, but I would think that maintenance issues were also taken into account.

6. No

7. RFID card called cívica, tickets are no longer being used.

8. There are sanitation services in some of the stations, you can grab tap water as it is of high quality all around the metro area.

9. There aren't, you get and announcement trough speakers.

10. I frankly don't know, but if yes is not common. They do make some artistic performances in some of the stations which includes live music shows, all arranged by the metro itself.

11. No, some of them haven central platforms.

12. Handicapped do have reserved spaces in the metro system, infants and pregnant women don't have specials seats, but is highly incouraged to give your seat to children, pregnant women and the elderly. Recently this could involve a fine if you don't give your seat, but is already part of the system culture.

13. Regrettably, no.

14. Yes

15. Less than a dollar for a single journey, they have special tariffs depending on social groups and the type of card you get, also the single journey is valid to operate in different types like cable cars, there are some restrictions tough.

16. No, they have ventilation but no AC.

[jdapenao]

Originally Posted by Ashis Mitra

Thankfully Medellin have done the correction almost after 60 years by returning tram in city. The new tram is almost different than old tram. The Old tram network was single line (with passing loops), steel wheel, single coach, high floor, opened window, trolley pole, noisy, and slow, but much expanded and served not only the entire city, but also near suburbs. The new tram is double track, rubber tire, pentaple coach, low floor, air-conditioned, panto-graph, calm and fast, but a very small one route. In fact, it is clear that it is an unofficial extension of metro line B. I think transport company realized that extension of a metro line is much costlier (even it is elevated) than (re)opening the tram service in the city.

The new tram route has a common stretch with old route between San Jose to Buenos Aires. I think they have selected the rubber tired tram cars, due to the steep gradient of the area served by tram. In old network, it was much uneasy for a conventional steel wheeled tramcar, and it was the main reason for a slower service. Rubber tired tram could go much easy on the route.

Personally I am happy to see that the single company operates metro, tram, BRT and rope-way, which is unique in entire South America.

After reading many websites I’ve recently saw some matters, which arise some questions and curiosity. I’m asking these because I want to compare the Medellin Tram with my city’s Kolkata Tram. Although the main difference is that Medellin tram is rubber tired, whereas Kolkata metro is steel wheeled. Here I’m writing—

1) Is there any plan to extend the tram line? If yes, please write some details.

2) Is there any tram conductor inside tramcars for ticketing? Or tickets should be bought before boarding the tram from tram stations?

3) What kind of ticket they used in tram—simple paper ticket or electronic card?

4) Are other motor vehicles allowed on tram track? I saw the network is completely street running and unreserved, so I’m asking this.

5) Are all stops as tram stations? Or there are some single unreserved street surface stops?

6) Does the entire route is middle of the road? Or sometimes on left or right side?

7) Is there any special seats for children, ladies, senior citizens and handicapped persons inside the tram cars?

1. There is a plan, if you can call it like that, to extent the line to the international airport to the west trough a 10 km tunnel, but its not in the short term plans of the system.
There is a new line of light metro, to the east side of Medellín, connecting Caribe station, Floresta station and Aguacatala station in a kind of semicircular path.

2. All tram access is made trough closed stations that requires payment at the moment you enter, so you already pay before entering the tram.

3. Cívica card only.

4. The line is mostly for tram use, but some resident have permits to go in and out of theyr residences, also some streets cross the tram pathway.

5. All of them are closed stations.

6. Almost all the tram road is for its exclusive use.

7. For handicapped, the rest is the same as the answer I gave you before.

[Ashis Mitra]

Jdapenao thank you very much for you answers.

[Ashis Mitra]

I have missed some questions before -

FOR METRO -

1) Is there any such ticket which offer all day unlimited traveling between any stations of any lines?


FOR TRAM -

1) Is there any such ticket which offer all day unlimited traveling between any STOPS?

2) Is there any system for monthly tickets?

3) What is the fare for a single journey?

[Ashis Mitra]

What is the operating hours of metro and tram in weekdays, holidays, Saturdays & Sundays?

What are the frequency of those services?

[Ashis Mitra]

There are some important links about the tram and metro -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Medellin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayacucho_Tram
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medell%C3%ADn_Metro

Those who are interested in metro system, I have created this group. It is just for information. Here is no barrier of continent, but all posts should be made only in Englishi.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5048...53369/?fref=ts

[EMArg]

Metro & Tramways of Medellín

[EMArg]

In HD:

[Ashis Mitra]

both photos and videos are very good

[jdapenao]

New Cable Car

[Ashis Mitra]

very good